Artificial honeycomb



UNITED sTATEs SAMUEL WAGNER, OF

Tonk, rnNNsrLvANm,

ARTIFICIAL HONEYCOIVIB.

Specification of LettersPatent useful Article of llIanufacture; and Ido` hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with thedrawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is adescription of my inventioirso full and exact as to enable those skilledin the art to practice it. j

My new manufacture consists in a substitute for the central division orfoundation of the comb built by bees, either with or without the wholeor any portion of the walls forming the hexagonal cells projecting fromthe division, which substitute is artificially and suitably formed uponboth sides or faces, and of anjT suitable material which is susceptibleof receiving the desired and necessary configuration.

To enable others skilled in the art to practice my invention I willdescribe the best method and means with which I am acquainted, and whichI have invented, by which I produce my said new manufacture.

Figures l and 2 of the drawings represent my new manufacture in plan;the black lilies showing the salient angles on the obverse side, fromwhich spring its walls which form hexagonal cells. The red lines showsimilar angles on the reverse side, and the red and black linesillustrate the relative disposition of the cells. Fig. l represents combfoundation suitable for the formation of drone comb, while Fig. 2represents that suited for worker comb. Figs. 3a and 3b are elevationsof one of the hexagonal solids which, when used as herein specified,will produce the comb foundation shown in Fig. l and in section on anenlarged scaleA in Fig. 4. i

Al mold is prepared, similarly to those used in the production ofprinters type in which solids are cast which will accurately fill theinterior of a newly formed cell of a natural comb of the kind of whichit is desired to form the central division. Numbers of type or solidsbeing produced they are locked together into a form like printers type,and fac-similesiof the assemblage are produced by either-of the well`known processes of stereotyping or electrotyping. Two of thesestereotypes or electrotypes are made to act, by means of a press orotherwise, upon the opposite sides or faces No. 32,258, dated May '7,1861.

of an interposed sheet of suitable material, which action gives thesheet the configuration desired. It is best to obtain in this di visionor foundation sheet a uniform` degree of tenuity, which can only be doneby closely imitating the natural waxen comb, which is eected by soplacing the dies that the apices forme-d at the juncture of the threerhomboidal facets of each hexagon shall' be exactly opposite thejuncture of the sides of three facets of adjacent hexagons forming thereverse side.

The angles of the rhomboidal facets should beas nearly as possible 109oand 710, and the dies should not be permitted to approach each other sonearly as to reduce the thickness of the interposed material much lessthan the one hundredth part of an inch. Should it be deemed desirable toform the hexagonal walls of the cells, or any portion of them, the typeor solids should be formed as seen in Figs. 8a, 3b, with a band orprojection around them of about the one two hundredth part of an inch inthickness, and some taper may be given to the type from the band towardthe rhomboidal facets. If the walls of the cells are to be extended toany considerable distance from the central web or division provisionshould be made for the admission of air into the spaces left vacant bythe withdrawal of the dies from the material being formed, which can beaccomplished by making a cavity in each hexagonal projection of the die,and with a. removable valve in one of the facets of each hexagon, or atthe apex formed by the juncture of the facets.

Among the many materials which may be used may be mentioned compounds ofwhich wax forms a part-rubber and gutta percha, and compounds of whichthey or either' lof them are components, papier mch &c. Thin sheets ofmetal, reduced to the the tenuity of foils, may be used, though I prefergood non conductors of heat improved by being rendered water-proof ifnot so. Very many materials and compounds not mentioned may be used, butit is unnecessary herein to attempt to specify them, as my invention isnot confined to, and is independent of, any particular material. (It maybe mentioned that with some materials heat, as well as pressure, may beused in shaping the artificial comb foundation.

Many variationsmay be made in my invention which though not improvementspensed with and the foundation sheet might be impressed so as to haveslightly projecting ridges of the material from which the sides of thecells can be extended on each side of the sheet. But I ydo not recommendany departure from the closest imitation possible of the natural centralsheet of the comb as formed by bees.

To render the artificial comb foundation acceptable to the bees it isnot requisite that any portion of the sides of the cells should beformed thereon, as the salient angles on either side formed at the edgesof the described depressions are a suicient guide to the bees, and fromthem they will'commence the waxen sides of their hexagonal cells.

By the employment of my invention 'in bee hives perfect regularity ofcombs and their kind is insured, and the production of drones preventedto any extent desired.

I propose t o take honey from store combs built upon my artificialfoundations by removing the full combs from the hives and by slicing offthe natural waxen superstructure; the artificial central portion of thecomb being then replaced in the hive will be again built upon by thebees, saving to them always the elaboration of wax and the time requiredfor the construction of this part of the comb which consumes more timein its natural construction than other parts of the comb of equalWeight, because fewer laborers can be engaged upon it atone time than onother portions.

I, claim- As a new article of manufacture, an articialrsubstitute forthe central division of comb built by bees, which presents to them, onboth sides thereof, guides for the construction or continuation of thesides of the comb cells, whether the same is constructed with or withoutthe whole or any portion of the sides of the cells.

SAM. VAGNER.

Witnesses:

D. S. WAGNER, Jol-IN A. WILSON.

